Feb. 20, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Behind four home runs from its outfielders, two from freshman right fielder Kennedy Clark, South Carolina (6-1) defeated Ohio (2-1) 8-0 in six innings on day two of the Carolina Classic from Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
Senior left fielder Alaynie Page broke the scoreless tie in the third with a blast out to left, scoring freshman second baseman Alexis Mack after her one-out infield single. Clark came up with two down and hit one out to right center to make it 3-0. Senior centerfielder Ansley Ard made it 4-0 with a leadoff blast in the fourth.
Clark pushed the lead to 6-0 with a two-run shot in the fifth, also bringing in freshman shortstop Kenzi Maguire after she was hit by the first pitch of the frame. The Gamecocks ended the contest by stringing together base runners in the sixth. Sophomore Krystan White singled off the third baseman’s glove, letting sophomore third baseman Kamryn Watts score, and Page plated the eighth run when sophomore Tiara Duffy singled to left.
South Carolina’s pitching kept Ohio from mounting much on offense, as junior Jessica Elliott (4-0) scattered three hits and struck out three in her five shutout innings. Junior Nickie Blue struck out one and gave up one hit in an inning of relief. Ohio starter Savannah Jo Dorsey (1-1) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits and two walks in four innings of work.
Game Changer:
Elliott kept the Bobcats from getting anything at the plate.
Key Stat:
Clark tied the school record with her two home runs in the contest.
Notables:
• South Carolina hit four home runs for the first time since a win over Tennessee on March 13, 2015.
• Page also scored twice and stole a base in her 2-for-4 day with the homer.
• All five Gamecock newcomers this season drew a start, including the first career one for catcher Lex Hull.
Tweet of the Game:
Apparently @GamecockSoftbll is playing home run derby today
— Randalyn Bryant (@randalyn20) February 20, 2016
Quotable:
Head coach Beverly Smith
I was so pleased. Ohio’s pitcher is excellent. I just thought the team took really aggressive swings. And today was a perfect example of the depth this team has. It didn’t matter the changes we made. There were no hiccups. We stayed consistent the whole way. And Jessica worked very efficient today. She got a lot of pop flies on her rise ball, and she stayed ahead of hitters. She did a super job.
Up Next:
The Gamecocks close out the Carolina Classic with a Big South doubleheader on Sunday. South Carolina takes on Longwood at 12:30 p.m. before finishing the weekend against Winthrop at 3 p.m.
